WFP Welcomes $5.3 Million From the United States for Food Assistance for Refugees in Rwanda

Photo: WFP/Arete/Fredrik Lerneryd
Published June 24, 2021

KIGALI – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) received today $5.3 million from USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) to provide humanitarian food assistance in the form of cash transfers to over 104,000 Congolese and Burundian refugees in camps across Rwanda.

The U.N. World Food Programme’s refugee operation has faced severe resourcing constraints in 2021 and the U.N. World Food Programme was forced to reduce general food assistance rations to 40 percent of a full ration in March and April 2021. Nutrition assistance to protect against malnutrition and school feeding continued without any cuts.

In May, the U.N. World Food Programme with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, began needs-based targeting of food assistance for refugees who now receive different ration sizes based on vulnerability. Backed by the United States, the step was taken in collaboration with the Ministry of Emergency Management with technical support from a UNHCR-U.N. World Food Programme Excellence and Targeting Hub.

“We are grateful for this generous contribution from the American people,” said Edith Heines, U.N. World Food Programme Rwanda Representative and Country Director. “This along with contributions from other donors allows the U.N. World Food Programme to increase rations from 80 percent of a full ration in May to 92 percent in June for the most vulnerable refugees and from 40 to 46 percent for moderately vulnerable refugees.”

Food assistance for refugees in Rwanda is provided in the form of cash-based transfers to allow refugees to purchase the food of their choice from the local markets in and around refugee camps.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.  We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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